Difficulties in consumption
Currently, dairy consumption on the world market is facing many changes; farmers who starting to raise dairy cows meet difficulties finding new outlets for their dairy products. This, as well as measures tightening procurement activities and quality control strengthening of milk procurement companies, are the main reasons that make farmers sell dairy cow to raise other cattle or poultry.
A farmer in Tan Linh commune, Hanoi’s Ba Vi district, said that farmers are meeting difficulties when dairy processing companies promote management, evaluation of quality of milk and pay based on quality of milk so the price of milk is reduced. Previously, average dairy purchase price was about VND12,000 – 13,000 per kilogram of milk, but the price is now about VND10,000/kg, some households even have to sell at VND6,000 -7.000/kg.
In addition, it is difficult for households, which want to increase the quantity of cows because they previously registered with purchasing companies for the supply of certain quantity of milk. If they produce surplus quantity of milk, it will be difficult to sell or they will have to sell at a price much lower than the market price.
"The cost of feed is high, interest from raising milk cow is no longer attractive, milk output has been tightened that make farmers sell cows to raise milk goats, pigs and chickens," a farmer said.
In 2015, the number of dairy cows in the district was about 10,000, but now it is about 7,500. Besides, milk output was down about 20% compared to the same period last year.
Currently, more than 85% of dairy farms in Ba Vi district have signed contracts with International Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (IDP), Vietnam Dairy Product Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) and Ba Vi Milk Joint Stock Company. However, purchase price of raw milk is not guaranteed, so the farmers sold cows and moved to breed other kinds of animals. In addition, the gap between the price of breeding cows of VND60-70 million and price of milk cows of VND30-40 million is the reason making farmers turn against breeding dairy cows.
Besides, the farmers haven’t thoroughly applied process of breeding, especially purification of dairy cow isn’t conducted regularly, directly impacting economic efficiency of the cows. Meanwhile, IDP has increased to control criteria in purchasing and testing milk quality, and doesn’t buy excess milk output, therefore, some households have sold to reduce the number of cows.
Encourage to apply hi-tech in breeding
Before difficulties of the cow breeding sector in general, particularly for dairy farmers in Ba Vi, in recent years, levels and departments of Hanoi have launched measures to encourage farmers to focus on large-scale livestock breeding and hi-tech application. At the same time, dairy farmers are warned not increase the number of cows by themselves.
Mr. Hoang Kim Vu, Deputy Director of Hanoi’s Livestock Development Centre, said that Hanoi’s dairy cow breeding sector must be more active in creating links between dairy farmers, stations collecting milk and enterprises purchasing and processing milk in the city in order to create a sustainable chain from the farmer to the consumer.
Besides, it should step up counselling and guidance so that farmers improve their breeds and quality of cows, strengthening quality of milk and economic efficiency in breeding by many methods.
The Hanoi’s Livestock Development Centre has asked IDP and Ba Vi Milk Joint Stock Company to purchase all fresh milk produced by farmers. In addition, the centre continues to strengthen training and transfer techniques to improve milk quality.
In the coming time, the centre will strengthen connections with the local administration, especially key communes, to help farmers feel secure to invest and breed milk cows, as well as timely solve difficulties of dairy farmers, creating most favourable conditions for them to develop./.